Pinsteps. Erzherzog Albrecht Denkmal in Vienna
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Let's move from the events of the 20th century to the golden age of Austria and plunge into its history and, of course, try to track the dynastic upheavals of the Habsburg Dynasty. This family ruled Europe more than anyone. The last ruler was Emperor Franz Josef; he died during the First World War in 1916. His death also meant the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Habsburg dynasty and the old world. He ruled for almost 70 years, and his rule covered the entire second half of the 19th century. He was a contemporary of the English Queen Victoria and the Russian emperor's Alexander the Second and the Third. He personified stability and calm. Someone might joke that he was an Austrian Brezhnev. If we compare the eyebrows of the general secretary and the sideburns of the emperor, we will see some similarities, of course. Franz Josef's great-grandmother was Maria Theresia (not to be confused with Maria Theresa). She was born in Vienna at the beginning of the XVIII century in 1717. The year when Peter the Great was in Paris, and studied the construction of fountains to apply it in the Peterhof Palace. She was speaking of Paris. Maria Theresia's daughter, Marie Antoinette, was the very wife of the French king, who was beheaded with her husband during the French Revolution. Maria Theresia also had 15 children. 11 daughters and six sons. Six of her children died either in infancy or without heirs. But, two of her sons became emperors, and her daughters were the most profitable parties in many European courts. Only Maria Cristina begged her mother to marry her cousin Albert, the son of the Polish king and prince of Lithuania. It was a marriage of love, and the young lived in prosperity all their lives. Although they had no children, Albert regularly served as governor of the Netherlands (this country went to the Hapsburg after the division of the Spanish inheritance), where the family lived in Brussels; he built the Castle of Laeken (the current residence of the Belgian king). Then Albert was governor in Hungary while living in Bratislava (60 km from Vienna). And in Vienna, here, on the site of the old fortifications (Augustinerbastei), Alberta received an administrative building of the former court from his mother-in-law. It was rebuilt by Maria Theresia's adviser and architect, Emanuel Silva Taruhi, son of the former ambassador of Portugal to Vienna. Although Christine and Albert did not have children, their property passed to their adopted son, and Albert bequeathed the richest art gallery to Vienna. The city began to call it Albertina with gratitude and installed an equestrian statue of Albert.


Pictures uploaded by @Elizaveta Polotskaya
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Elizaveta Polotskaya
Discover Vienna by journeying from the iconic Café Mozart to the intriguing Hungarian House of the "Blood Countess."

Embark on a self-guided walking tour through imperial Vienna. You'll explore magnificent landmarks like the Opera House and the Royal Park, stroll through the opulent palace grounds of the Augsburg dynasty, and delve into the dark history of the infamous Bloody Countess. This captivating adventure offers a glimpse into the city's rich past and enchanting beauty.

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Elizaveta Polotskaya (author)
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